Approaches to Character This is a great sentiment – I think John’s instincts are absolutely correct. Of course disabled people are people, and Quasimodo should be viewed no differently. While some professional productions of this musical have cast artists with disabilities, this may not be an option for you, and that’s okay! If you do have a performer or performers who identify as disabled, don’t assume that they should, or would even want, to play Quasimodo. That’s okay too. If necessary, these questions can be addressed with individual conversations on a case-by-case basis.
Theater as Community Theater is one of the greatest art forms with the ability to change perceptions about disability. Theater is immediate; events happen in real time and it demands participation. Unlike film or television, theater is an art of flesh and blood that creates community and serves as a place of inclusion and a forum for ideas. An artistic process is about choices. In theater there are many ways to tell a story beyond the page with lighting, set design, costumes, staging, etc. How you, and the actor performing the role, choose to portray Quasimodo is another aspect of that storytelling. With Notre-Dame de Paris, Hugo introduced the concept of the novel as Epic Theater – a sweeping tale about the history of a whole people, from pauper to pope, incarnated in the figure of a great cathedral as witness and silent protagonist of that history. The play and this process are an opportunity to embrace the whole idea of time and life as an ongoing, organic panorama centered on dozens of characters caught in the middle of that history. People with disabilities are included in that history – as well they should be. Have fun. Good luck. Break legs! — Gregg Mozgala
FROLLO An intimidating and unyielding figure, Dom Claude Frollo’s imposing presence looms over the musical in the same way that Notre Dame looms over Paris. As a much feared and respected man of the Church, Frollo’s posture should match his imperious disposition: strict, rigid, and inaccessible. This is not a man who opens up – emotionally or physically – so encourage your actor to experiment with finding a restrained bearing that conveys his closed-off nature. Though Frollo’s actions – isolating Quasimodo, sentencing Esmeralda to death – seem unjustly cruel, it should always be clear to your audience that Frollo believes he’s doing what’s right. He is guided by his deep and profound faith, so encourage your actor to find the humanity in this tortured figure. Look to Frollo’s relationship with Jehan and his immense guilt over his failure to keep his brother on the right and godly path. His devotion to his brother – misguided as it may be – is ultimately what leads him to care for the otherwise unwanted Quasimodo. Work with your actor to ensure that the audience recognizes this act for what it is – one of obligation, but also one of love.
Frollo & Quasimodo Frollo’s relationship with Quasimodo is more complex than it may appear on the surface. It’s important to remember that Quasimodo is a constant reminder to Frollo that he failed to save his brother. This, as well as Quasimodo’s physical differences, is largely what shapes the two men’s interaction, and it is what has led to Frollo’s severe treatment of his nephew, to whom he refers to as merely his “charge.” Because of
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The Hunchback of Notre Dame Production Handbook